Wrench.



Patented lune I01 |902.

No.7o|,95|.y 7 e w. sHlRK.

wnENcH.

(Application tiled June 10, 1901. l

l(No Model.)

6 Wizz-mm furz.

in all the views 0I' the drawings by the same UNITED STATES.

WILLIAM sHIRK, or PANAMA, IowA.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,951, dated' lume'10, 1902.

Application filed .Tune 10. 1901.

.To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, WILLI-AM SHIRK, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing'at Panama, in the county of Shelby and State of` Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches; and l dohereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and ex act descriptionof the invention, such as willv enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to wrenches of the alligator type, and aims toprovide a simple, novel, and eective means for positive actuation of thejaws to adjust them to grip different sizes of nuts, rods, or otherobjects required to be turned by force.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand drawings hereto attached. ,l Y

While the essential and characteristic fea-r tures of the invention arenecessarily susceptible of modification, still the preferred ernbodimentof the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a plan view ot'A a wrench embodying the invention. Fig. 2 isa View similar to Fig. `1 with the cap-plate removed. Fig. 3 is atransverse'section on the lineXX of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a centrallongitudinal section.

Corresponding/and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated reference characters.

The stock or frame l is widened at one end to receive the operatingparts and is con-` tracted at the oppositeend to provide a handle andhas an opening extending inward fromv the widened end to accommodatelthe jaws vand the adjunctive parts. Plates 2are` secured to theYopposite sides of the stock or frame to close the opening thereof andretainthe working parts in place.

The jaws 3 are arrangedlengthwise of the stock or frame and are pivotedat a point between their ends to thepla.tesf2,the ,opposing or proximaledges of the inner end portions of the jaws iiaring, so as to receivebetween them a wedge or cam 4, by means of- Serial No. 64,012. (Nomodel.)

which the inner ends of the jaws are forced apart and their outer endscaused to approach more orless closely, so as to grip an object of`given size. the jaws are toothed or serrated, so as coprevent slippingand enable the jaws to obtain The inner or gripping edges of a 'rm holdof the object to be turned. Flat springs 5 are secured at one end toshouldered portions of thestock or frame and have the opposite endbearing inward upon theiny ner end portions of the jaws 3, so as topress said ends together wheny withdrawing the cam or wedge 4 fromtherebetween. The jaws 3 correspond in. thickness to about the thicknessof the stock or frame, so as to lie in the plane thereof and preventbinding between the plates 2 when the latter are rmly clamped `againstthe sides of the stock.

v The `wedge or cam tis, provided at one end with a set-screwo'rthreaded stemt', located fin the inner end portion of the openingformed in the stock or frame, opposite sides being plain;so,asto comebetween the plates 2 and lwithin the plane of thesides of the'frame 1.

s`et-screwftovar'y the distance between the outerends'of the jaws 3. Thenut is milled or otherwise roughened to facilitate its turning whendesired. A pin 10 passes transversely through the wedge or cam 4, andits ends enter longitudinal slots 11, formed centrally in the sideplates 2, .whereby the wedge is centralized and prevented from lateraldisplacement. The wedge or cam 4:,being causedY `to move in a straightline and held from lateral displacement, fixes the position of the jaws3 with reference to the stock or frame and insures their 'occupying acentral positionwith reference to the stocker frame at vall points ofadjustment.

' The stock or frame may be readily cast, stamped, or drop-forged, andthe same is true of the remaining parts, and the construction 7is suchthat the elements can be readily as- IOO sembled and are accessible atany ltime for repair or other purpose.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- Theherein-described wrench comprising a stock or frame of uniform thicknessthroughout its length and breadth having one end contracted andconstitutingahandle and having its opposite end widened and providedwith a slot extending inwardly and opening through opposite sides of thestock, said slot being ared at its outer end, contracted at its innerend and widened at a point intermediate the ends of the contracted part,plates secured to opposite sides of the stock and closing the sides ofthe slot thereof and havinglongitudinal slots and openings in coincidentrelation,jaws pivoted between the plates, springs secured to the stockand exertingr an inward pressure upon the inner end of the jaws, athreaded stem located in the inner contracted end of the slot formed inthe stock and having a cam or wedge to enter between the inner ends ofthe jaws and having eXtensions to operate in the longitudinal slots ofthe aforementioned plates, and a nut mounted upon the threaded stein andarranged to operate in the widened portion of the aforesaid slot of thestock and having opposite portions projecting through the openings inthe side plates, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM sI-IIRK. [n sj Witnesses:

L. H. CRANE, C. F. BAUMEISTER.

